Hyderabad, Oct 23 Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao on Wednesday recorded his statement in a Rs 100 crore defamation case filed by him against Telangana Forest and Environment Minister Konda Surekha.
In his statement before the Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for Excise, Rama Rao said the minister’s remarks were highly offensive and were aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
The BRS leader said he would not like to repeat the insulting comments made by Konda Surekha as they pertain to a woman - actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
KTR, as Rama Rao is popularly known, said he has provided all the details in writing in his petition.
BRS leader Dasoju Sravan also recorded his statement as a witness. The statements of other witnesses Satyavati Rathore, Balka Suman, and Jagadish Reddy will be recorded on October 30.
Konda Surekha had alleged that KTR is responsible for actor Naga Chaitanya’s divorce from Samantha Ruth Prabhu. While elaborating on her allegation, the minister had made certain comments.
The BRS leader had served a legal notice asking Konda Surekha to withdraw her remarks and apologise. When she refused to apologise and stated that she is standing by her remarks about KTR, he filed a defamation suit.
KTR had posted on X on Tuesday that he would not keep quiet over the attempts for his character assassination.
“I've taken a firm stand against baseless allegations and cowardly personal attacks on my character. I have filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against Minister Konda Surekha garu for her malicious and cheap comments. For far too long, these attacks & attempts to indulge in character assassination through whisper campaigns and social media have gone unchecked, but not anymore,” KTR wrote.
“As a public representative, I've always prioritised people's issues over personal vendettas, but it's time to draw a line. I hope this lawsuit serves as a lesson to those who think they can spread cheap rhetoric in the name of political criticism. I am confident that truth will prevail in the court,” he added.
Konda Surekha is also facing a defamation suit filed by Naga Chaitanya’s father and popular actor Nagarjuna.
On Wednesday, she filed a reply in the defamation case filed by Nagarjuna. Her counsel Gurmeet Singh filed the reply on her behalf in the Special Judicial Magistrate of First Class for Excise.
The court posted the case to October 30 for further hearing.
The minister was issued notice by the court on October 10 on a petition filed by the actor for making alleged defamatory comments about the divorce of Naga Chaitanya and Samantha.
The court has already recorded the statements of Supriya Yarlagadda and Venkateshwar Metla, the two witnesses in the case.
The court recorded Nagarjuna’s statement on October 8. The actor told the court that the minister’s remarks harmed the dignity and reputation of his family.
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